When you set out on a Classic Journeys Scotland Cultural Walking Tour, you’re not just exploring breathtaking landscapes—you’re stepping into a living story, one that stretches from the misty Highlands to the sunbaked canyons of the American West.
Walking in the Footsteps of Drovers
On the legendary paths between Edinburgh, Inverness, and St Andrews, each step follows the tracks of Scotland’s drovers—rugged livestock herders who, from the 1600s to the late 1800s, drove cattle and sheep across wild moors, through glens, and into bustling market towns. These weren’t trails designed for leisure. They were the arteries of Highland commerce and culture, etched into the land by generations of drovers braving all weather, guiding herds through some of the world’s most dramatic scenery.
As you travel north from Edinburgh, you’ll pass through the rolling woodlands of Dunkeld and the rushing Falls of Bruar, where drovers once paused beside ancient forests and tumbling waters. In Pitlochry, a town famed for its distilleries and stone cottages, you can imagine the drovers stopping for rest and sustenance before continuing their journey. Near Blair Atholl, the grand Blair Castle stands as a sentinel over centuries of Highland history, its grounds once echoing with the lowing of cattle and the songs of herders.
Arriving in Inverness, the “Capital of the Highlands,” you’ll walk riverside paths and explore the historic Old Town, where the Castle Esplanade offers sweeping views and the ancient Abertarff House and Old High Church anchor the city’s deep past. From here, the South Loch Ness Trail beckons, winding through forests and along the shores of the legendary loch, a landscape unchanged since the days of the drovers.
St Andrews, too, is a town where history lingers on every cobbled street. Here, you can stroll from the ruins of the medieval cathedral to the iconic Old Course, feeling the centuries of tradition underfoot. And then there’s Rob Roy MacGregor, the Highland folk hero whose legend began as a cattle drover before he became Scotland’s answer to Robin Hood. His story, and those of countless drovers, are woven into the very fabric of the Highlands—stories you’ll hear firsthand from Classic Journeys’ local guides, who bring the past to life with warmth and wit.
A Living Museum Underfoot
Every day on the trail is a walk through history. Whether you’re climbing woodland paths near Dunkeld, exploring the castle gardens at Blair Atholl, or wandering the riverside walkways of Inverness, you’re following routes where commerce, culture, and adventure have intertwined for centuries. In the evenings, relax in handpicked inns and manors, enjoying local whisky and Highland hospitality.
From Scotland to the American West
But the story doesn’t end in Scotland. When drovers and their families emigrated to North America, they carried their skills and traditions across the Atlantic. The very essence of the American cowboy—the open-range herder, the campfire ballads, the spirit of adventure—owes much to the Scottish Highlander. Many cowboy songs echo the melodies of Scottish folk tunes, and the practical know-how of drovers shaped the great cattle drives of the American West.
So when you walk the wild trails of Bryce, Zion, and the Grand Canyon, or the open spaces of Montana’s Glacier Park and the Yellowstone and Tetons region with Classic Journeys, you’re tracing a transatlantic story. The landscape may change from heather to sagebrush, from misty glen to red rock canyon, but the spirit of the trail—the connection to land, the camaraderie, the sense of adventure—remains the same.
Why walk here?
• A Living Connection: Every step in Scotland is a step through centuries of intertwined culture, commerce, and legend.
• Guides Who Bring It All to Life: Classic Journeys’ local experts share the stories, songs, and secrets of the Highlands, making history come alive.
• Unforgettable Landscapes: From the woodlands of Dunkeld to the riverside paths of Inverness and the storied streets of St Andrews, these are walks you’ll remember forever.
• A Transatlantic Legacy: Feel the connection between Scotland’s drovers and America’s cowboys on both sides of the ocean, with Classic Journeys as your guide.
Ready to Walk in Legendary Footsteps?
Join us in Scotland for a journey that’s as much about the stories underfoot as the views overhead. And if the spirit of the trail calls you westward, our walking tours in the American Rockies and canyonlands await—where the legacy of the Highland drover lives on in every cowboy song and every wide-open horizon. Raise a glass to adventure, and let Classic Journeys connect you to the legends of the Highlands and the American West—one unforgettable walk at a time.
